Wednesday, February 15, 2006

This article from Monday’s Bee provides notification of a welcome trend, calling for an increase in the acceptable level of flood protection, from 100 year to 200 year.

We hope they follow that movement with one to 500 year protection, and begin discussing the option providing that, a dam.

Here is an excerpt.

Bracing for the biggest stormsFlood agency looks at toughening the rules for urban protection.By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PST Monday, February 13, 2006A new state Reclamation Board is being asked to formally proclaim what its predecessors had been informally edging toward: 100-year flood protection just isn't good enough for Central Valley cities.

Some board members say urban areas should have at least twice that: levees and waterways robust enough to protect against a 200-year storm, a deluge with a half-percent chance of raining down any year.

They want the board, which is a key gatekeeper for state and federal funds, to withhold backing of projects in any urban area that doesn't have a solid plan for reaching the 200-year standard.

Woodland and other cities around the Sacramento region could be affected by the change.

Today, Woodland is still seeking ways to achieve 100-year protection after voters rejected the strategy described as the most cost-effective.

And although Sacramento does have a plan to protect itself, eventually, from a 200-year storm, some on the Reclamation Board suggest that may be only a starting point.

"It's a good target to shoot for," said board President Ben Carter. "When we reach that, we may decide that's not adequate and we may need to have more for some areas."

This blog is part of the ongoing work of the American River Parkway Preservation Society to provide public education and advocacy around public policy issues that may be related to the Parkway and the adjacent communities along the American River in Sacramento, California.